Effects of Laser Microtexturing on the Wetting Behavior of Ti6Al4V Alloy

Surface modification procedures by laser techniques allow the generation of specific topographies and microstructures that enable the adaptation of the external layers of materials for specific applications. In laser texturing processes, it is possible to maintain control over the microgeometry and dimensions of the surface pattern through varying the processing parameters. One of the main areas of interest in the field of surface modification treatments is the ability to generate topographies that are associated with specific surface finishes, in terms of roughness, that can improve the manufactured part’s functional capabilities. In this aspect, several types of phenomena have been detected, such as the friction and sliding wear behavior or wetting capacity, which maintain a high dependence on surface roughness. In this research, surface texturing treatments have been developed by laser techniques through using the scanning speed of the beam (Vs) as a control parameter in order to generate samples that have topographies with different natures. Through assessments of surface finish using specialized techniques, the dimensional and geometrical features of the texturized tracks have been characterized, analyzing their influence on the wetting behavior of the irradiated layer. In this way, more defined texturing grooves has been developed by increasing the Vs, which also improves the hydrophobic characteristics of the treated surface. However, due to the lack of uniformity in the solidification process of the irradiated area, some deviations from the expected trends and singular points can be observed. Using the contact angle method to evaluate the wetting behavior of the applied treatments found increases in the contact angle values for high texturing speeds, finding a maximum value of 65.59° for Vs = 200 mm/s.